Bracket



y 4, 1953 A. VANDERVELD 2,645,444

BRACKET Filed Jan. 31, 1949 2 sheets sheet l hweu'rog ANTHONY Vmaanvsu:

July 14, 1953 A. VANDERVELD BRACKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 31, 1949 Amnonv VANDERVELD Patented July" 14, 1953 UNITED 7 sum-cs PATENT oF-F cE :signor 3h) Grand Rapids StoreEguipment Com- ,pany, Grand Rapids, Mich a corporation of Michigan npplicat'ionl'anuary 31, r94a,:.smamn.-m3,7i2 M invention Jrel'a'tes to. a store furniture construction. iltais directed tore. storeyfurniture unit which in itself-is 'completebutalso, a plurality -'o"f the units may ibe located in agenerally end to end relation, either in :direct alignment or at aninde'finite number oiangles other than-a. straight angle to each othergbetween preselected extreme anglesu'at either side-ofv'a straight angle. Such units may have applied :thereto various additions or accessories for the holding, storage and display of m'any :kinds' of "merchandise. With the various differing angularjpositions of the units with 'respectto eachother, bases and tops only need to bezspecially' constructed, and .such special construction lot the bases tor tops requires only building them with the proper dimensions in length at front and :ba'ck-and the angles at which the ends :lie with respect-to such fronts and backs for ith'e palrticular ciroumstances.to be met.

It is a primary obj t a p m the invention to provide ta rStOI'G furniture structure which mayibe -generallydesignatedas wallfurniture, though n'ot in any sense i limited to I location against :a Wall, in which many and different angles -m'ay be turned in conior ming the'furn'iture to a wall"or, inrsome cases conforming it to aisles which are not straight but change -.direction oneor more times between their opposite ends. it is affurther l object to i provide furniture of the type :noteli' ;in aform -which can be .eco-

'nomioally produced and shipped disassembled,

very easily assembled inka sturdy-and .durab'le form when :itstplace of "use is reached, and which maybe as easily knockeddownand disassembled, either for removal to another ,part, of :astore or to a different "store. fllhese lunits are complete without a top, but .9 :top -may be provided if desired. 7 v 1 With my invention including :the rear suppo'rtingiposts of the store furniturestructurefth brackets :attached -thereto extend outward for use "as supporting means for shelves or other accessories of the "unit, the uppermost brackets also serve as supports for the'top of the unit, and are provided with a novel :andvery usef-uLJttachment with lwhich an end of a garimen thanger rod is 'cletegchabhrconnected. 01- the adjacent ends of tw'o hanger rod in adjacentaunitsmay contherewith, the opposite ends otsaid rod "or rods having a similar connection With a. like carrying and supporting-device therefor, 'the'hange'r :rod beingdisposedparallel to the vertical back of the unit and consistingof aplain tubular ro'd obtained by merely sawing tubular jstock across to a prescribed length, andwlth' such length 2 snbJect --to a relatively wide tolerance and not restticted to approaching -elose accuracy in length. i.

An understanding .of :the invention nray be i had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: lais arperspectiveview showing two of the units ilocated .end to :end .andat an-obtuse angle to each other, one supplied with atop and the other complete without -a, top.

Eig. 2 is a iragmentary enlarged sectioned plan view at .the .back where .two of the units come itogether, with the tops of the units removed, the plane .of the section being at line 2--2 of Rig. '6.

Fig. .3 15.2. .ltransverse verticalsect'ion on the In thestrudture o'fua unit of store furniture, a V

:hase "I vvith a suitable under frame; generally indicated at 2, is used. Such base mayhave a' rectangular 'fo'rmlfor example as when a single unit used, or when a number of them are located end to end in straight alignment. Brit when 'the units are positioned with "relation to each other at either an'obtuse or arefi'ex angle, the 'base W111 "be of a trapezoidal outline, with parallel front and back edges, and -ends angularly disposed to such edges sat acute .and obtuse angles. The back '3 "of each unit "is avertica lly positioned gpanl. 'Attlie back 'andat each end of a base a vertical post of 'channeliorm is loca'ted 'deta'cha'bly "secured, "having a front face or Web 4, and rearwardly extending parallel legs or "flanges "5, spaced from each other. One ofisueh'ip'osts may be located ateach end of the base at theback thereof, and "ext'endthe so lected height ofthe unit.

'For"theconnection of the'backpanels '3 tea post, flangememberst and are secured to the post, extending the length thereof, either at one br'both sides'there'of; The front flanges fi extend partly over-the iece 4 of a :post, land have irearwardly side extensions (Fig. 4). The back retaining flanges or members 1 are of an angle form in cross section, having legs against and welded, preferably, to the outer sides of the post flanges 5, and outwardly extending laterally legs spaced from and back of the rear bent portions of the retaining flanges 6. The two outwardly extending portions of the retaining flange members 6 and I converge toward each other outwardly away from the post, so that a panel 3 having a vertical edge between them may occupy any position between that shown in full lines in Fig. 4, and that in dash lines. When, as may be done at times, two back posts on adjacent units are located alongside each other at the ends of units, the retaining flanges will not be used on side by side flanges 5 of the two posts. But, with a single openings in web I8. When such screws are driven to place, the angle bar structure for holding the upper edges of panels 3 are locked against removal, and the upper sides of the horizontal legs of the angle bars I6 are flush with the upper sides of the horizontal plates carried by the brackets 9, so that a top 2| may lie on the bar l6 and the parts [0 of the brackets, one at the upper end of each back panel 3. Screws, as in Fig. 6, are used to secure the top in place, connecting with parts [0 of the brackets.

Garment hanger rods 22 in many instances are to be supported by and extend between the upper brackets which are connected with the back posts, such rods shown at 22 being each spaced from and parallel to the back of the unit in which it is installed. The rods are of tubular form back post between the backs 3 of two units, as in r Fig. 4, retaining flanges at both sides will be used.

Each post at its front face in the length thereof vertically is provided with consecutive series of spaced short vertical slots 8. Brackets may be detachably and adjustably connected with a post by means of hooks inserted through and located in the slots 8. In the unit structure, upper brackets are used each having an upper side 9 at the upper edge of which a horizontal plate [0 is secured, either connected integrally or otherwise. A vertical leg H extends downwardly from the inner end of the upper bar 9, from which hooks l2 extend to enter slots 8, and in practice a diagonal brace l3 extends upwardly and outwardly from the lower end of leg H to and joins with the upper member 9 at a distance back of its outer end. Such upper brackets, one at each end of a unit have a forward extension at the front end of the diagonal brace l3 lying beneath the upper member 9 paralleling it, and spaced at its upper edge a short distance from the lower edge of part 9 (Fig. 6).

Between the upper ends of opposite posts at the vertical edges of a back panel 3, angle bars I and 16 (Fig. 3) are located having downwardly extending legs spaced from each other and rearwardly extending overlapping horizontal legs permanently secured together. The upper horizontal leg of the bar l6 has a terminal portion 16a. at each end which extends beyond the adjacent end of the bar and is provided with a downwardly bent tongue ll (Figs. 1 and 5). The

tongue I! has an opening through it. When the connected angle bars [5 and 15 are placed in position above the upper ends of the spaced back posts, the tongues 11 extend downwardly at the inner sides of rearwardly extending flanges 5 of the posts, and the extensions IEarest upon the upper ends of the flanges 5 (Fig. 2). The back panel 3 at its upper edge is inserted between the spaced downwardly extending legs of bars [5 and IS.

A channel member having a web 18 and rearwardly extending legs [9 is located in the upper end portion of each back post with the web [8 back of the front 4 of its post, a distance far enough that the tongues I! of the panel holding upper edge structuers are between such face t and web l8. The flanges [9 have a permanent welded connection to the rearflanges 5'of the post. Screws 20 pass through the face member or web 4 of the post, through the openings in the tongues l1, and are threaded through the web 18, each screw, as shown in Fig. 4, having a ,pilotextension forguidance of the screws through openings in tongues l1 and the threaded iii) open at each end for thereception into such open ends of insertable parts of supporting fixtures for the ends of the rods which, preferably, are connected to the previously described extensions M provided on said upper brackets.

The rod carrying fixture which is mounted on an extension M (Fig. 8) is formed from flat metal, with an upper horizontal web member 23, from the longitudinal edges of which spaced flanges 24 extend downwardly, parallel to each other. Eachflange 24 at its front end has an outturned lip 25, shown as of semi-circular form, with an entrance slot 25 between them, which is the open outer end of the space between the spaced flanges 24. From each of the flanges 24, when the described fixture is to support one end of each of two rods, a long finger 21 is bent outwardly at right angles to its connected flange 24. This leaves an upper arm extension 28 of an inverted channel form at the inner end portion of the fixture, the upper web 23 of which, at its rear end, is downwardly turned to provide a short projection 29 to seat in a notch to receive it in the upper edge of a projection 14. At the lower side and rear portion of one side flange 2d a flat finger 30 extends rearwardly, which after the fixture has been put in place on a projection 14, may be bent underneath the projection l4, thus locking the fixture in place. The projection i4 is located between the sides 24 and extends at its free front end a short distance beyond the entrance slot 26. The fingers 21 enter the open ends of the rods 22, mounting such rods in a manner such that they may be swung to diiferent positions, oneof which is shown in full lines Fig. '7, and the other in dash lines; and, of course, the rods may occupy any position between the two extreme angular positions to which they may be moved. The fingers 21 are bendable if necessary instead of remaining straight.

It is apparent of course that other supporting brackets for shelves or the like may be detachably connected to the back posts below upper po sition as at the right in Fig. 1, and that such lower brackets may have the outer end portions of part 9 cut away, or otherwise removed leaving a bracket upper shorter arm 9a at the front end of which the rod carrying fixture is placed.

The rods are cut from a length of tubular'material by merely sawing across such material to a fairly close approximation of a length wanted. The extension of the fingers 21 into the ends of the rods permits a considerable tolerance in a rod length. One only of said rod fingers 2! may be, provided in such rod carrying fixtures for a single unit, or at the outer ends of the end units of an assembly of such units.

The construction is economically produced,

readily and easily assembled and disassembled, is of a sturdy and durable character and may serve as a foundation or chassis, which may be completed into display cases, with suitable end panels vertically at the end of a unit, or connected at the ends of a series of dissassembled units, utilizing the several accessories common in the field and which appear in part in my previously filed application, Ser. No. 55,138, now Patent No. 2,580,334 filed October 18, 1948.

The invention is defined in the appended claims, and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a store display device, a bracket having means at one end for attachment to a vertical post and a fiat vertical outer extremity, a rod supporting fixture for association with said flat vertical extremity, said fixture including a medially positioned downwardly facing channel, the web of which overlies said fiat extremity and the flanges of which embrace the sides of said bracket extremity, said flanges being defined in part by vertical inner edges and outer edges, one of said flanges extending below said fiat extremity and including a laterally bendable projection, and elongated fingers projecting laterally from the vertical inner edges of the flanges each of said fingers being adapted for insertion into the end of a rod, said fingers being bendable at their connection with said flanges to permit their association with rods arranged at varying angles.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the upper face of the fiat vertical extremity is formed with a shoulder, and the inner end of the web of the channel includes a downturned portion to engage said shoulder to prevent endwise displacement of the fixture.

3. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the outer edges of the flanges are bent laterally to provide outturned lips normally lying parallel to said fingers.

ANTHONY VANDERVELD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 850,497 Schuchart Apr. 16, 1907 923,721 Smith June 1, 1909 1,021,432 Smith Mar. 26, 1912 1,315,524 Mittleburg Sept. 9, 1919 2,036,184 Armstrong Apr. 7, 1936 2,136,109 Kress Nov. 8, 1938 2,457,536 Doggett et a1 Dec. 28, 1948 2,464,470 Vanderveld Mar. 15, 1949 2,522,288 Light Sept. 12, 1950 2,590,446 Murphy Mar. 25, 1952' FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 594,252 Great Britain Apr. 21, 1939 

